crude (most advanced housing is akin to a log cabin)
Inhabitants:
about 75 extended families scattered over the area
Description and notes:
Some refugees fleeing the plagues decided Wisconsin's forests were the best place to lay low and wait out the collapse of civilization. Many of those who fled to the Kettle Moraine State forest were longtime campers, hikers, or hunters able to survive without modern conveniences. Their descendants have remained in the forest, building shelters (huts and log cabins) by hand and living off the land. More recently, the abundance of timber has led the locals to dabble in industry, producing charcoal by pre-industrial methods (slow-burning large stacks of logs under a layer of sod to keep oxygen exposure to a minimum). This crudely-produced charcoal is far less efficient than the type produced before the crash, but can be produced in large quantities needed for smelting and production of black powder. This, along with the settlement's strategic location between the city of Milwaukee and the growing Dreamers faction in the Fox River Valley, has given the region a workable economy, and the former site of the Four Seasons lodge now functions as a trade mart where charcoal is swapped for water tokens and/or commodities that can't be produced locally. The ready availability of charcoal has also drawn several tinkers to the area, intent on large metalworking projects or the creation of black-powder weaponry. These outsiders are tolerated for the boost they give to local self-defense and economic potential.
"City" is a misnomer; individual homes were originally built far apart out of panic and paranoia, and have remained widely separated to prevent over-cutting of timber in any one area.
http://goo.gl/maps/LcsQY
"City" is a misnomer; individual homes were originally built far apart out of panic and paranoia, and have remained widely separated to prevent over-cutting of timber in any one area.